


I know I can't lose (As long as you follow)

by Nerdofmanytalents



Series: As Long as You Follow [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: All aboard the trope train!, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s01e14 The Odyssey, F/M, Felicity is mother to Jonas the Sassbucket Smoak, Gen, but the trope spoke to me, this is a bit cliche
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 08:03:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16384328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdofmanytalents/pseuds/Nerdofmanytalents
Summary: When Oliver seeks refuge in Felicity's car after being shot by his mother, it turns out she wasn't the only one there.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> So first off I entirely realize that this trope has totally been done wonderfully by many authors, so I hope that I can do the premise justice as I attempt my own spin. This story operates on the trope that somehow before leaving on the Queen's Gambit, Oliver met Felicity and they had an intimate night together, resulting in a little boy.
> 
> At the time of this story, Oliver is not aware of this fact, and does not recall the night he first spent with Felicity.
> 
> Apologies if I've missed any typos or errors, I edited this myself while nursing a baby. XD

After being his sole parent for four years, Felicity knew that many of her son’s traits had come from his father. The naturally blonde hair, the differently shaded blue eyes. His natural energy and charm. She found it a little unfair that the biggest trait he seemed to have picked up from her (besides his sharp mind) was her innate sense of sass. 

 

“I know, I know, but I’m not tired, mom!” Jonas whined as he dragged his feet while they walked across the parking garage to the car. 

 

“I know you say that now, but we are  _ way _ past your bedtime, little man. We are going to stop by Big Belly and get some dinner, and then we are going home to go to bed.” Felicity spoke as she paused to lift the four year old up onto her hip with a grunt as they neared the car. She ruffled his blond curls playfully.  “Thank goodness it's Friday night, huh? We can sleep in tomorrow! Or, well I can sleep in. You can get up and watch cartoons if you like.” 

 

“Can I watch Rescue Bots?” He asked excitedly. 

 

“In the morning yes. But tonight,” she emphasized, “We are going to go home and go to bed.”

 

“But I was so good at waiting while you finished work! I didn’t bother you at all!”

 

“Jonas…”

 

“Fiiiiine,” he pouted, resting his head against her shoulder and betraying the drowsiness she’d been detecting from him for the last 45 minutes.

 

She fought off a grin as she unlocked the car, before pulling the back seat door open to put Jonas in his car seat. The second she leaned down to put him in, she shrieked before jumping back, holding Jonas tighter to herself. 

 

“Oh my God!”

 

Collapsed in the back seat of her car was none other than the hooded vigilante of Starling. 

 

“Oh my god,” she repeated, at a loss for words. She nearly shrieked again when the man groaned, shifting to sit up further in the seat.

 

“I'm not going to hurt you, Felicity,” he gritted out, and she felt her heart thunder even faster at his words. 

 

“How do you know my name?” She demanded, clutching Jonas closer, ignoring his confused protest. 

 

The vigilante in her back seat groaned, before removing his hood, revealing sandy blonde hair and a face belonging to none other than Oliver Queen. 

 

“Because you know my name,” he said slightly breathlessly, face drawn with pain, sweat smudging the dark green grease paint around his eyes. 

 

“O-Oliver. Oh wow, everything about you just became so unbelievably clear.” She stammered out. He winced a moment later, and she noticed the red, wet sheen staining the green suit he was wearing. “Oh my God you're bleeding.”

 

He glanced up at her with a look that made her feel a little dumb for stating the obvious. 

 

“I don't need you to tell me that.”

 

“Bleeding?” Suddenly Jonas high voice cut between them as he spoke for the first time. He leaned in her arms to look into the car. “You're hurt, mister?”

 

Oliver blinked in surprise, brow furrowing. “You've got a kid?”

 

“Yeah that tends to be the case when you’re, you know, a mom. Not that I've told you I'm a mom. That's not something that has come up while I've been tracking mysterious arrows and energy drinks in syringes for you. But I am. A mom, I mean. As you can see, from my son. And the car seat booster that you're almost bleeding on. Oh my gosh that's a lot of blood. We need to get you to a hospital.”

 

She watched with growing concern as he laboriously pushed himself into a more seated position with a pained noise. 

 

“No…. Shit. You've got your kid. I shouldn't have come here, I should go-”

 

“Oliver, you're bleeding out,” she snapped, recognizing a note of hysteria creeping into her voice. “I'm taking you to the hospital.”

 

He looked at her, face unreadable. She steeled herself, trying to communicate her no-nonsense stance on this. It must have convinced him, because he sighed, wincing as it apparently jostled his wound. 

 

“No hospital. I…. I need you to take me to my father's steel factory in the Glades.”

 

Felicity hesitated only the barest moment before nodding, jumping forward to put Jonas in his car seat. She adjusted the buckles with shaking hands, trying to ignore the feel of Oliver's eyes on her as she did. 

 

“Jonas, baby, Mama needs to help her friend, he's hurt really bad and we need to take him somewhere safe so we can make it better, okay?”

 

“I'm not a  _ baby _ , mom,” he protested, childish exasperation plain in his voice. She could have sworn she heard Oliver huff in amusement, but ignored it. She instead glanced from her son to the wounded vigilante. 

 

“Please don't die in my car,” she blurted out. “I really don't want to take my kid to therapy for the rest of his life.”

 

“I'll do my best,” he grit out, settling back further into the seat. She nodded, before running around to start the car. 

 

The car remained tense for a minute before Jonas broke the silence. 

 

“Mom, he's not buckled.”

 

She felt herself blanch bit. “That's okay, Jonas. Sometimes…. Sometimes when you're hurt you don't need to buckle up because it can hurt your owie.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Felicity bit her lip, knowing from his tone that her son was not done. She normally found his verbose nature endearing, but for once was cursing their shared trait.

 

“You got hurted?”

 

She tried to focus on driving as she realized Jonas was addressing Oliver. To her surprise, she heard Oliver clear his throat. 

 

“... Yeah. Someone… Surprised me, and I got hurt.”

 

“Oh.” There was a long pause. “You should let mommy kiss it better. She fixes owwies.”

 

She felt a flush creeping up her neck when Oliver chuckled. 

 

“Do you wanna squeeze my hand?”Jonas continued. “Sometimes when I have an owie mom lets me squeeze her hand and it's better.”  She heard a sound the led her to believe her son was reaching out for their passenger. 

 

“Jonas, honey, you need to let him rest--”

 

“It's okay, Felicity,” Oliver interrupted, and she glanced in the rear view mirror to see him with his head tilted back against the headrest. A second glance made her heart give a funny twist when she spotted Jonas had grabbed two of Oliver's gloved fingers in his own small hand and was watching the man attentively. 

 

Jonas’ running chatter kept the edge off the tension in the car, with Oliver interjecting occasionally with directions as Felicity drove. Finally she pulled up to the back of the old steel factory. 

 

“Oliver, were here, where are we going?”

 

“Mom, he's sleeping.”

 

Felicity whipped around in alarm, finding Oliver slumped slightly, head lolling to one side, with Jonas pushing a finger to his own mouth in a shushing motion. Turning back to the darkened warehouse, she was almost ready to panic before she spotted an electronic keypad flashing near a nondescript door a few yards away. 

 

“Jonas, stay here with Oliver, I'm gonna go get help,” she said quickly, getting out of the car and locking it with the fob before hurrying to the door. After a blind shot at guessing the code, she pulled out her phone and hacked the lock with almost laughable ease. Nearly stumbling down the stairs, she froze when she suddenly found Oliver's bodyguard (Mister Diggle, if she was remembering correctly), turning on her with a gun cocked. 

 

“Can you help me? He is really heavy!” She blurted out, gesturing towards the stairs behind her. The man froze for a second before jumping to his feet and quickly passing her to run up the stairs. 

 

“He’s unconscious?” Mr Diggle said quickly, and she nodded. 

 

“He was in my car at QC, I-I think he was shot, he's lost a lot of blood.”  

 

He cursed, pulling open the door as she unlocked the car again. She moved to the opposite side, pausing as she watched him maneuver Oliver out of the seat. 

 

“Do you need help?” She asked uncertainly. 

 

“No, I've got him,” he grunted, before glancing up. He stopped short when he spotted Jonas. “You brought your kid?”

 

“Well I couldn't exactly drop him off at the babysitter first!” There was a definite note of hysteria creeping into her voice. He watched her for a long moment before just nodding and hauling Oliver out. Felicity scrambled to unlock Jonas from his seat, scooping him out and rushing ahead of Mr Diggle to open the door into the lair. 

 

“If you can run ahead, there's a med table on the far left side,” Mr Diggle grunted, pausing at the top of the stairs to adjust Oliver’s dead weight. “If you can push it to the bottom of the stairs that will make this easier.”

 

“Right,” she said quickly, going down the stairs as quickly as she could in heels carrying a kid. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she spotted an office chair and quickly moved to put Jonas down. 

 

“Jonas, you need to stay in the chair, okay? Stay right here and don't move.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Felicity ran her fingers through his blonde curls, before pulling him close to kiss his forehead quickly. She then moved towards the medical gurney Diggle had mentioned, dragging it over to the bottom of the stairs just as Diggle reached her. 

 

“If your kid is okay on his own, I could probably use your help,” the man said quickly, already in the process of stripping the hood and green leathers off of Oliver’s chest. She hesitated a moment before nodding, and calling out to Jonas to play with the tablet in her purse. 

 

The next forty five minutes were a bit of a blur, following Mr Diggle's directions as they extracted the bullet and stitched up the wound. Once he was stable, if still unconscious, she removed the surgical gloves on her hands with a shaky sigh. 

 

“Thanks for your help,” Diggle’s voice broke through that mild fuzz starting to settle on her mind. “You kept your head on.”

 

“Well.” She glanced down at Oliver’s prone form on the gurney. “I always wondered how I'd react if I found my boss shot and bleeding in my car. Not that I helped him because he's my boss. I'd help anyone who was…. Bleeding in my car.”

 

She glanced at Oliver again, a strange feeling filling her chest. She looked away and at a rack covered in arrows instead.

 

“I was thinking this would all be more of a shock.”

 

She couldn't help but feel a sly smile cross her face at his words. 

 

“What, you saying you called this all along?”

 

“I'm not saying anything… Except Oliver brought me a laptop riddled with bullet holes, had me trace a black arrow… and had me research a company involved in armored car heists.” She allowed herself a somewhat smug look, though if she was honest with herself it felt a bit brittle. “I might be blonde…. But not that blonde.”

 

“Yeah Oliver's not to great with the cover stories,” he scoffed. 

 

“Neither are you,” she retorted. “The two of you, with that whole… Energy drink hangover cure?” She walked along the work tables, glancing down at the various equipment. “What was really in that vial anyways?”

 

“Vertigo,” Diggle answered. She turned back to him pointedly. 

 

“I knew it. I mean, I didn't know it was Vertigo for sure but I definitely knew it wasn't something that could...”

 

She trailed off quickly as she spotted Jonas behind Diggle in the spot she'd left him, her stomach sinking. At some point he had slipped out of the chair and had laid down on her discarded coat, her tablet still chirping some game he'd fallen asleep playing. She felt her knees tremble as she moved in his direction.

 

“Oh my God.… I forgot he was here,” she groaned, guilt swelling deep in her stomach. She crouched down and ran her hand through Jonas’ messy curls, earning a sigh as he burrowed into her coat. “What kind of mother am I?”

 

She chanced a glance back at Diggle, finding him equally surprised; apparently he’d also forgotten about the small boy. He shook his head, glancing back at Oliver before turning to her again. 

 

“He was being good and quiet, and in your defense, we...had a lot going on.” Diggle cocked his head. “He’s a good kid. What’s his name?”

 

“Jonas. Well, Aaron Jonas, but it’s a bit of a tradition in my family to call boys by their middle names; not that there’s been a boy in a while, not since my mom’s cousin, and he reinvented himself when he went to college and ended up going by ‘Aster’ after joining some crazy club/cult thing...which is so not relevant...at all.”

 

Her ramble earned a chuckle from Diggle, and she sighed, staring down at Jonas. 

 

“...does it make me a bad mom if...If I don’t want to leave until I know Oliver’s okay?” She finally asked softly. She heard Diggle walk in her direction. 

 

“Nah. It just means you care. If your kid was upset, you’d know. You’re his mom; kids are tough.” She looked back at him and he jerked his head in the direction of a darker corner of the lair. “There’s a cot in the corner for late nights. If you want I can help you move him over there while we wait.”

 

She nodded after a moment, before moving back to her knees and going to scoop Jonas up. “I’ve got him. Thanks.”

 

\-----

 

“So I gotta admit, Oliver never shared much about you, before we started coming to you for help.” 

 

Felicity blinked at the computer screens she was working at when Diggle spoke. It’d been nearly four hours since they’d arrived at Oliver’s underground lair, two and a half since he’d flatlined, and 48 minutes since the last time the leads had come loose, sending both her and Diggle into a panic. Jonas lay sleeping on the cot in the corner the whole time. Since then, she'd been trying to pass the time by updating their absolutely archaic computer setup. She pushed the chair away from the desk, turning to him.

 

“So you’re saying he doesn’t run a thorough background check on whoever he brings on as a consultant,” she quipped.

 

“Oh I’m sure he ran one on me. But all he told me was that Walter recommended you and that was that.” Diggle said dryly. 

 

“Walter did? I...didn’t know that. Oliver...never mentioned.”

 

“I think it was the fact that you helped him out without calling him out on his bullshit that sealed the deal. Still, he didn’t tell me much about you.”

 

“There’s...not much to tell. Child genius, graduated from MIT at 19, had a kid a couple months later. Moved to Starling shortly after when I got a job offer at Queen Consolidated and they offered great family benefits. On-site daycare is a lifesaver.”

 

“This little guy’s dad still around?” Diggle nodded towards the cot Jonas was sleeping soundly on under a blanket.

 

“Um...no. Jonas was a bit...unplanned,” she admitted. “It was an...out of towner-in-for-the-weekend thing while I was visiting my mom’s place in Vegas, and by the time I realized I was pregnant he...wasn’t available.”

 

“Too bad. Seems like a great kid.”

 

“He is,” she said with a smile, before breaking off with a jaw cracking yawn.

 

“You should take a minute, get some rest. I’ll wake you if there’s any change.”

 

“I shouldn’t, I’m updating this…” she jerked a thumb in the direction of the computer, but Diggle shook his head.

 

“Just let it run. You’re exhausted. Just go sit with your kid a bit, unwind.”

 

After a long moment, she conceded, getting to her feet and walking over to curl up on the cot behind Jonas and closed her eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have also added another short scene to this series, so check out the series page if you enjoyed this! Features adorable baby Jonas. XP


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after, Felicity gives Oliver her decision on whether or not she wants to join the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am amazed by the reaction to this! Thank you thank you to everyone who read, left kudos, and wrote comments. You made my day!
> 
>  **AN IMPORTANT NOTE**  
>  This is the final chapter _of this particular installment._ I am absolutely terrible at updating regularly and writing a story linearly, so this fic is going to be part of a series of smaller stories and one-shots that I write as I feel inspired. So if you're interested in more of this verse (such as how Oliver and Felicity meet, or other events of this modified verse), make sure you subscribe to the series itself. Most other ideas are in various states of planned to written, so there will be more.

Oliver Queen found very few things since his return from the island could genuinely make him feel nervous. But jumping off rooftops, knuckle and bone brawls, and even the daunting task of saving his city never quite set of the same sort of anxiousness he'd felt in his chest since receiving that text from Felicity earlier today.

 

_‘Can we meet @ Big Belly this evening after work? I want to discuss your green business proposal you mentioned last night.’_

 

When she'd programmed her phone number in his phone a month ago _‘in case of more tech issues,’_ he never quite imagined he'd actually be waiting her answer to join the team officially.

 

He hated to admit it but if he hadn't seen the bright red Mini Cooper in the QC parking garage after being shot, there was no chance he could have made it back to the foundry for Digg to patch him up. Going to see his mother like that had been a mistake. However, discovering Felicity had a son has not been something he anticipated, and with that in consideration, really, it was remarkable she hadn't just called the police to protect said son. He knew from his own mother the lengths a mother would go to protect her child.

 

He was drawn from his thoughts as the bell above the door chimed and he spotted Felicity ushering the blonde haired boy he had briefly met before passing out last night. She glanced his direction and Oliver nodded in greeting. She returned it with a nervous smile before urging her son forward and into the bench across from him.

 

“Hi Oliver. Sorry we're running a bit late. Do you mind if I order Jonas and I some food first, I came here straight from QC - got called in for the day - and I skipped lunch so I could get out early.”

 

“No that's fine, I can wait.”

 

“Thanks, back in a sec.”

 

Felicity stepped away and headed over to the line at the counter, leaving Oliver and Jonas at the table. Now that he was alone with the boy, he got a better look at him than he had been able to get while bleeding out in the dark back seat of Felicity's car.

 

He seemed about 5 or so, with a mop of curly sandy blonde hair close to Oliver's own color. Blue eyes, much like Felicity, though different in shape, with a child's version of her nose and chin. When he turned from watching his mom back to Oliver with a grin, he had the barest hint of dimples in his cheeks.

 

“Hi Mister Oliver. Are you feeling better? I fell asleep while mom and Mister Diggle were helping with your owwie last night.”

 

Oliver blinked, a little surprised by both his friendliness, and by the fact that he even recognized him.

 

“I am, thank you for asking. But we probably shouldn't talk about it right now, I don't want anybody to get…worried,” Oliver said, concerned for a moment as he realized suddenly that his secret identity was now in the hands of a five year old.

 

“Yeah, mom said it was a secret. I won't tell. I'm good at secrets. Mom still doesn't know I snuck some of her green ice cream last week.”

 

Oliver chanced a glance over at Felicity who was obviously eavesdropping from her place in line, and the smirk he saw on her face led him to believe the boy’s mother knew exactly what had happened to her ‘green ice cream.’

 

“Well good, I'm glad you can keep my secret. I'm grateful that you and your mom were able to help me.”

 

“Yeah, it's cool,” the boy said in such a nonchalant manner that a laugh nearly escaped him.

 

“Jonas, scoot in, bud, make room for me,” Felicity said as she returned to the table. “Food will be here in just a minute.” She glanced to Oliver. “The woman at the counter said she was going to send something over for you too?”

 

Oliver watched with mild amusement as the little boy huffed at his mother’s scooting motion and rolled his eyes before acquiescing to his mother's request. Oliver looked back to Felicity. “That's Carly, she's Digg’s sister in law. We sometimes stop by when we're out late.”

 

“Ah, I see.”

 

“Mom, NOW can I play on my tablet?” Piped in Jonas after a moment of silence. “I did all my homeworks in the car.”

 

His rather spectacular pair of puppy eyes could have given Thea in her prime a run for her money.

 

“Yes, but use your headphones. I've gotta talk about some work stuff with my friend.”

 

Jonas wiggled happily before digging into the backpack he'd carried in with him. Once he was settled, Felicity turned back to Oliver.

 

“Thanks for coming,” Oliver said. “First, I'm sorry for accidentally involving your son last night. That was… definitely not my intention.”

 

“No, I… I know that. You were hurt and you came for help. I understand.”

 

“Still, I could have endangered you both and I shouldn't have done that. I should have been aware you had a son.” Oliver paused with unfamiliar uncomfortableness. “Does he… is he okay? He’s not…upset by what happened?”

 

Felicity smiled and looked down at the boy who had completely tuned them out now with an affectionate smile.

 

“Yeah, I think so. Doesn't seem too upset or anything. The only lasting thing that seems to have stuck were my words that owwie=no seat belt and we had an argument over whether or not a scraped knee is grounds for no seat belt this morning.” She pointed a painted finger (bright pink, he noted) at him fiercely. “But you will be paying to have my car upholstery replaced.”

 

“Of course,” Oliver confirmed while fighting off a smile. “I appreciate you also asking him to keep my secret.”

 

“It’s not ours to tell,” Felicity iterated. “Despite his poor ice cream pilfering skills, Jonas knows the value of a secret, but more importantly, a promise. He won't tell anyone.”

 

A waitress approached their table, and within a few moments, both Felicity and Oliver had a Big Belly Buster in front of them (extra pickles on Felicity’s), while Jonas distractedly began munching on his Bitty Belly Chicken Bites without looking up from whatever he was doing on his tablet.

 

“I don't normally let him play on there when we're eating or with company,” Felicity explained when she noticed Oliver's attention on Jonas while munching on her own fries. “But it's been a weird 24 hours and bending the rules won't win me Worst Mom of the Year. I hope, anyway.”

 

“I'm sure it won't,” Oliver assured. “He seems like a good kid. We had a talk while you were in line. He's five?”

 

“Not quite. He was four in May. But he is. Good, I mean. Too smart for his own good, too, always getting into mischief…”

 

Oliver chuckled, then glanced out the window, then took in the room again before looking back to Felicity. That bit of anxiousness was making a comeback.

 

“So you mentioned you had given some thought to my… Business proposal?” He finally asked. “I was surprised when you contacted me so soon when you said you needed time to think about it.”

 

“I think fast, and… Yes, I have,” Felicity sighed heavily, pushing her own food away for a moment. “I just…”

 

“I completely understand if you can't-”

 

“No, I’m not saying no, It’s just… not that simple, Oliver. I am not sure why you are doing what you're doing. And I very _very_ definitely do not agree with your very… Pointed methods. But you do seem to have something you're trying to accomplish for the good of this city. But more than that….” She took a deep breath. “I want to find Walter.”

 

Oliver felt his brows creep up in surprise. “Walter?”

 

“He was nice to me,” She explained quickly. “And he conducted my final hiring interview and overrode the company policy for having to wait out my probation period for my benefits to kick in at QC so I could have access to the daycare for Jonas and we would be in a very different place in our lives if he hadn't. And he gave me that book that I gave to you and I just…  I want to help. To find him, at least. Then I'm done.”

 

Oliver considered for a moment, before nodding.

 

“That's fair. You have your son to consider.”

 

“Right,” Felicity nodded. “Which… By the way I'm gonna need a little time to find a sitter that can cover nights, it's a little tough to find someone reputable on short notice, even when you're outside the Glades-”

 

“I can recommend someone,” he interrupted. That earned him a head cock not dissimilar from the one she gave him when he said his coffee shop was in a bad neighborhood.

 

“Oliver Queen has a babysitter on standby?” She asked with a small grin on her face. Once again he found an amused smile creeping on his own. “Can't say I expected that.”

 

“No, she's… She's our family housekeeper, Raisa. She practically raised me and my sister Thea. At the very least she'd be able to recommend someone.” He nodded slightly at the distracted kid across from him. “We can say you're doing some freelance work for me for the club or something.”

 

“I can do that too, you know,” She said, finally pulling her meal closer again and munching on more fries. “That stuff is easy peasy, and since we're already on site I can do whatever you need.”

 

“Alright, just let me know when you're ready to start; Digg and I can read you in.”

 

“Great. Now, if you'll excuse us, now that our ever so healthy dinner has been acquired, the two of us-” She ruffled Jonas’ hair and he gave a disgruntled squawk in response. “-have a date with our Saturday night, time honored Pixar movie of choice. Come on, Jojo man, time to go.”

 

He watched her efficiently pack back up her own food and what was left of Jonas’, slipping both boxes into a carryout bag.

 

“Felicity?”

 

She looked back at Oliver as they both stood to leave.

 

“Thank you. Let me know if there's anything you need.”

 

“Of course,” She assured with a soft look that tugged at something inside him oddly. “We… Definitely have things to discuss, and…. Not just...green...related things, but more personal type things I've been meaning to bring up for a while and now I'm babbling again.”

 

She paused for a second as if to shake off the babble, but then smiled as she rested a hand on Jonas’s shoulder. “Besides, I still need you to pay for my upholstery. Anyway. Happy to be part of Team Arrow,” She finished sunnily.

 

“We don't call it that.”

 

“Oh we are _so_ calling it that from now on. I'll be in touch!”

 

“Bye Mister Oliver!”


End file.
